PUBLICATION DAY!
Last February, I attended the Building and Construction Trades Council’s annual conference where I networked with hundreds of workers attached in one way or another with organized construction labor. The panels were both energizing and fascinating for someone like me--a newbie interested in soaking up every bit of information I can about the industry. On the last day of the conference, the atmosphere changed. They presented a panel on mental health—particularly about suicide and alcohol and drug addiction in heavy construction. We’d all gotten to know each other a bit by then, and defenses were down. The speakers were open and vulnerable about their struggles in a way I hadn’t been exposed to yet. When I was told that the construction industry is second in the nation in suicide rates, I knew we should talk about it.
Mental health, suicide, and addiction are all familiar topics for me and all things I have struggled with within my immediate family. The holiday season—with all the lights, music, and seasonal fare, the parties, the family time and the gifts to open–come coupled with a relentless call for joy that can be difficult to bear. Of course, winter doesn’t claim ownership rights over depression, but the holiday blues can be very real, and very overwhelming.
This issue of Road Warriors speaks to the struggles within the construction industry. Our cover article features two very different men: Frank Barker and Steve Chassman. Read it to see how their life’s paths have intertwined and how together they have helped those who struggle with addiction.